Strong Enough
by DarkStarShadow
Summary: Set during Soul Specter. Vida finds Madison in a state of hysteria while Chip is away. Can she convince her sis that Chip's condition isn't her fault? ChipMadison.


Rootcore was usually not the place to hear crying, but this was a special occasion. Vida had noticed that Madison had stayed behind as they chased Gnatu and Spidex. Vida knew why Madison was crying in her chair at the round table, but she had no clue how to stop it.

_Sis, you're always the one to fix this situation, not me. You know how to make people smile and laugh and feel better when bad things happen…how would you fix this?_

Vida walked up to Madison, which alerted Clare and caused her to shoo Vida away. Clare was drenched, and Vida could easily guess why.

"Back away from her, Vi." Clare said. "She doesn't wanna listen to anybody. She shooed Udonna away, and she attacked me…what do you think she'll do to you?"

"She's my sister, so she won't do anything to me. You don't know how to make her feel better." Vida replied, swatting Clare's hand off her shoulder and walking back to Madison's side.

Madison turned her head ever so slightly, letting more tears run down her hidden face. Vida grabbed Madison's left hand and took Madison's wand away from her. She noticed that a small golden lightning bolt-shaped pin sat on Madison's lap; the one that usually sat upon Chip's Rock Porium uniform's collar for good luck.

"Maddie, he'll be fine." Vida said, softly rubbing Madison's back. Maddie hitched a bit as she tried to breathe.

"I…I should…" Maddie gasped for breath a few more times before speaking again. "I should have spoken sooner…why can't I speak up…?"

"Maddie, don't worry abou-"

"He could die, and it's my fault!" She shouted as she looked over at Vida. Her face was bright red, her eyes bloodshot and wavering. Clare quickly rushed into the back room to hide.

A silence fell over the room for a moment, and Vida looked down. _C'mon Maddie, what would you say…?_ "Crying won't make anything any better."

"I know…but…but…it's my fault…I knew something was wrong…and I just waited until the last second, as usual, to say something."

"C'mon, sis, do you really think it's your fault?" Vida said, cupping Maddie's hand inside of her own hands. "If it's anybody's fault, it's Necrolai's. She's the one who just sat that bottle there, and it's just bad luck on Chip's part. That could've been you or me as much as it could have been Chip."

Madison looked back down at the pin. "I guess…"

"Besides! Chip can handle this. He's tough as nails."

"Not against this…" Madison replied, as she began to tear up again. "It's devouring his soul, it's going to kill him from the inside, out."

"Like that's ever stopped him before." Vida replied. "Sis, do you remember in second grade when Greg Mathers convinced Chip that he was actually Superman, and Chip dug his cape out of his backpack, climbed up into that sapling in front of the school playground, and jumped off the highest branch?"

"No."

"Chip was knocked out for a few minutes, then he got up. The school nurse, he screamed, had Kryptonite in her glove, and she used it against his arm. He found out that he had broken it in three places, and he had to wear a cast for five months."

"Oh, that."

"Or the time Chip ran into that pole in the diner, and he had to get stitches…which he got without anesthetics or aspirin?"

"That was chilling."

"Or that time in Woodshop where he cut himself making that sword and he laughed when Mr. Thomas said it was a serious cut?"

"I think that's when people started thinking he was crazy."

"You remember all the way back in Woodland Forest, when we got our asses kicked, and Chip laughed it off entirely?"

"That's when I think I started believing he was crazy."

"Or when he saved me from DJ Flytrap?"

"It sounded like it was really bad…"

"I think he's still got bruises."

"Oh…" Madison bit her lip.

"Do you get what I'm trying to say?"

"Kinda, yeah."

"If anybody can handle that Soul Specter, it's Chip. He's one tough cookie, and he'll be okay."

Madison sniffled and wiped her eyes on her cloak. "You're right. He'll be okay…"

"Exactly! And besides, if it were the other way around, Chip would totally be rooting for you to pull through, and he'd be willing to do anything to give you time. Right now, what we need to do for him is make sure Gnatu and Spidex are busy with us, and not off chasing him and Daggeron."

"You're right, sis." Madison said, standing up. "Gimme my wand, and let's go fight for Chip!" The pin fell out of her lap and onto the floor.

"That's the spirit!" Vida said as she picked up the pin and stood back up. She softly stuck the pin in the collar of Madison's cloak. "Chip will be with us, rooting for us, no matter how far away he is, no matter how long he's got left."

"Let's give him all the time in the world." Madison said with a momentary grin before she ran out the door.

"Maybe I'm as good as Maddie at this comforting thing." Vida said with her hands on her hips, staring in the direction of Rootcore's door before walking out.


End file.
